Lara tells me that there is no need to increase the default font size (as has been done the past two years at OBT). She says all you have to do is use your Alt button and your wheel.

Well, I don't have a wheel, but I know a wheel CAN'T be necessary if this is true.

So, I use the AOL browser -- Please tell me - how do I increase the viewable font size when I read a message with this kind of miniscule typeface? Then change it back immediately. And back again, as needed. With just a click or two.

Teri

eerr, Hello???

Lara didn't say that at all.

Good grief.
Please don't go saying I said things that I did not say or even imply. I really do not appreciate this all the time. This is all I said below in quotes.

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...6&postcount=43

I just gave a suggestion of *one* way that people can increase the text size. There are numerous ways it can be done. I recall another thread here that mentioned many of them. How would I know that you use AOL?

Without knowing that you use AOL, I suggested what I would usually suggest and that is either Ctrl and the mouse wheel,

Ctrl +
Ctrl -
Ctrl 0 (that's Zero not naught)... that will take the font size back to default if you change it and want to undo it all.

Same as above with View/ Text Size / Increase or Decrease

I have no idea how it works on AOL, I'm sorry. If the other methods don't work then hopefully someone else who uses AOL will come along to help you.

I don't know how the AOL browser is set up either....

OK- i looked it up- i couldn't really see all of it from the tour they give.

but there is usually a Tools, Options or settings area that you can adjust the font sizes - but that does it for all web pages.

I just keep a cheap pair of reading glasses on my desk too.
{another option}

I looked around the net a bit just now.

Not sure if this helps, but worth a read.

That's from
http://www.xs4all.nl/~sbpoley/main/adjust.html#aol
Adjusting your text size

Changing text size in Internet Explorer
http://www.xs4all.nl/~sbpoley/main/adjust.html#ie
___________

[I only use Firefox so don't know if that works or not.]

P.S. The only reason I suggested anything at all in the first place (not knowing you used AOL, Teri) is because I have problems with reading the font myself and until there is any change in the default size, I just figured that suggesting other ways might be helpful.

More here...

Without knowing what an AOL browser looks like I can't really suggest anything more except that AOL would probably have Help links concerning this matter. I did find an AOL ability/accessibility site, which shows how to change the text on that page. Whether that button is on all AOL pages, I do not know. This is it here below.

http://ability.aol.com/ability/index.php?ID=16
From AOL Ability - Accessibility Help
http://www.law.widener.edu/about/sit...size.shtml#aol
and here

http://history.oakham.rutland.sch.uk...resize.htm#aol

I DID say -essentially- exactly what you said (except that I made a boo-boo and said the "ALT button" instead of "CTRL button"....

But I came HERE because I DO use my internal AOL browser because it is SO fast, faster than Opera or Firefox - even after I installed a pre-cache program for Firefox and IE) and thus, I was HOPING it might be possible to get the instructions here.

After all, if I thought you were an expert on all browsers (and I have do IE, Firefox, Opera and the new AOL external "any service" browser on my computer....) AND if I realized you check this forum regularly, I would have entitled this thread, "HELP, LARA" But I didn't want to presume on any user to be "my everything" or to know everything. But apparently you enjoy learning things in depth.

However, I have taken your various instructions and tried them out (except on IE that is ponderously slow) and they work - even on the new AOL Browser. BUT, as you pointed out, they ALL are different control commands, depending on the browser you use. With one, you had to shift to the Alt button plus " - " to get it back to small.

As for the IE font size/type commands, that only works on pages that do not already have any directives as to font size/type.

The only problem with the blanket CTRL "other button" is that EVERY THING on the entire page is enlarged. Which means my having then having to scroll left and right to see the entire page.

Generally, I DO think it is a good idea to increase the size of the default font, like JL did at OBT, because the vast majority of computer users at support forums like this are virtual computer novices, as well as ill and/or disabled, and scarcely a prime audience to be expected to learn advanced browser directives to enable them to read here.

If given the choice of OBT's easily legible font over NT's tiny font, many users would simply go where the legibility is desirable.

Teri

Dear Lara ....

I do thank you for your great helpfulness in so quickly gathering all sorts of information. I sometimes got things TOO BIG -- and once I got it so microscopic, it was just a tiny thin line (that was the one where I needed the Alt button to increase the size)

But I truly appreciated your doing this -- and with it being on THIS forum, it is far more useful than in a Forum Request thread. (and I now see that off-topic posts are now OFFICIALLY Off-Topic on the New Forum Request thread).

Thanks again - officially!
Teri

With all due respect...

I did not say there was no need to increase the default font size. I have trouble reading it myself. Nowhere ever have I said there was no need to increase the default font size on this site or any other site.


I am not an expert on anything.
I do regularly check this forum.
Yes, I know a little about a lot.
Yes, I do enjoy learning things in depth.
Yes, I try to help people when I can.
Yes, I'm tired of this talk directed at me.

FIRST OF ALL, everyone --- You CAN increase the size of the default browser font in the the AOL Browser (internal browser) by changing the font in the AOL Explorer (the new downloadable browser anyone can use). I was SO freaked next time I loaded a regular AOL page and found the font suddenly big. What a surprise!!

To clarify ----

I was asking the Doc for a larger size default font to make things easier to read for all users -

and I GATHERED from your pointing out that the individual user could increase the font that you were SUGGESTING to me that I, too could do the same. You even told me HOW you do it.

I presumed that you told me how to do it so I could try it.

I DID want to do it, to see how it worked and how much I might like it. But I know that the AOL browser works differently in so many ways and in 10 years, I had never found any information on how to do something like this.

SO, I came HERE so I could find out about it in DEPTH since I expect persons who consider themselves to be COMPUTER BUFFS to frequent this forum.

So, can I NOW BEG YOUR FORGIVENESS for reading more into your comment than you intended? I am not perfect - I make mistakes -- I said Alt instead of Ctrl (tho I needed the Alt on one browser and actually needed the shift key, too, once). And then I intuited that your helpful suggestion was more global instead of being just for me. I made an assumption and I am now APOLOGIZING. Please don't take this so personally. It wasn't meant personally. I am sorry.

Teri

Dear Lara ....

If you will edit and/or delete all your complaints about me and my stupidities, I will go back thru, ERASE my first sentence of my first post in this thread, just say "someone said they did this" and then edit and/or delete everything I have had to say in reply to you about my stupidities and misinterpretations. THEN this thread won't be about my stupidities and your hurt feelings, but INSTEAD, as was first intended, a valuable informative thread on changing font size in browsers.

I think that would be a very nice thing for each of us to do for the other. (this would be one of my deleted threads - and the last post would be only the part about changing size in the AOL internal browser)

Teri